Tuesday 22 January 2013

*Shrug* It's Not OUR Money...

Mohamed Shabir had rented his property in Martin Crescent, Croydon, to a tenant he found through Bromley Council in 2009.
In November, he discovered the house was empty and on inspection of the property found copper pipes, cables, the gas meter and boiler had been stolen.
Mr Shabir who lives in Tooting, said he didn't suspect anything was wrong because Croydon Council continued to make housing benefit payments covering the tenant's rent.
And their explanation for this?
Croydon Council say the payments continued because the woman had intended to move back into the property.
Riiiight...

6 comments:

Blue Eyes said...

If I was Mr Shabir I would have kept quiet about it until the rent had paid off the mortgage!

Anonymous said...

Bunny

He will have landlord insurance for this, (or he should have), hence we will pay for it twice, the first through the rent being paid by the council and secondly through insurance premiums. He will probably have an interest only mortgage on the property too, the idea being equity growth over the next ten or twenty years will give him a nice hand out once the current recession is over.

MTG said...

"If I was Mr Shabir I would have kept quiet about it until the rent had paid off the mortgage!"

Mr Shabir's thinking may not be quite as modest, Blue. You know, capital loss through racially aggravated vandalism, emotional distress, hurt feelings, 'traumatic impotence'...all the stuff with which to construct a premium claim in an application no self-respecting Council Jobsworth would either challenge or impede.

When generously settled, that compensation will eclipse rental income for decades. So we must stand back, admire and learn from our enterprising Asian guests and their many associates.

Able said...

Oh that's nothing!

I have a former colleague (well, when she can be bothered to turn up) of 'Asian', 'RoP' descent.

She and her husband (who is on benefits being unable to work due to an injury sustained - yes, you guessed it - fighting against our troops). They own at least three houses. But 'How, when they're on benefits?' I hear you ask. Easy! They bought them on buy-to-let mortgages (with the assistance of the local council) and rent them to 'poor and needy Asian persons' (ie. themselves, their daughters and families) for which they receive housing benefit, etc.

You just couldn't make it up!

JuliaM said...

"If I was Mr Shabir I would have kept quiet about it until the rent had paid off the mortgage!"

Heh!

"He will have landlord insurance for this.."

Yes, but as you point out, the premiums will go up as a result of the council's lackadaisical attitude.

"You just couldn't make it up!"

Sadly, these days, you don't HAVE to!

JuliaM said...

"If I was Mr Shabir I would have kept quiet about it until the rent had paid off the mortgage!"

Heh!

"He will have landlord insurance for this.."

Yes, but as you point out, the premiums will go up as a result of the council's lackadaisical attitude.

"You just couldn't make it up!"

Sadly, these days, you don't HAVE to!